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Geregistreerd op: 11 Sep 2019 Berichten: 680
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Geplaatst: 23-09-2019 07:00:05 Onderwerp: NEW YORK -- Even the King at his best needed some help to ke |
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NEW YORK -- Even the King at his best needed some help to keep the Kings from lifting the Stanley Cup at Madison Square Garden. Vapormax Dame Ebay Danmark . Henrik Lundqvist got that in the form of season-saving plays by Anton Stralman and Derek Stepan on the goal-line and did the rest himself, willing the New York Rangers to a 2-1 victory in Game 4 of the Cup final Wednesday night to stave off elimination and forced a Game 5 back in Los Angeles. "When you play this game, you have to battle, but then you have to rely on your teammates," Lundqvist said. "Sometimes you have to rely on some luck. Tonight we had it a couple times." Lundqvist finished with 40 saves on 41 shots to extend his streak of home elimination-game wins to eight. Along the way he kept the Kings at bay with the kind of performance that his teammates have come to expect. "It was pretty self-explanatory out there," defenceman Dan Girardi said. "He was the King tonight for us, making huge saves when he had to." The most memorable saves, though, came from Stralman in the first period and Stepan with just over a minute left in the third. Midway through the first period with the Rangers up 1-0 on a deflection goal by Benoit Pouliot, Kings defenceman Alec Martinez thought he had scored. Instead, Stralman batted the puck off the goal-line after first lifting Jeff Carters stick out of the way. "I just saw the puck and all I tried to do basically was get the stick out, and obviously the puck as well," Stralman said. "Its one of those things, you need a little luck to kind of succeed with." Luck, some quick reflexes and enough wherewithal not to knock the puck in while trying to avoid what couldve been a disastrous goal against for the Rangers. "A lot of times you start panicking and you end up whacking it in your own net, and we did a good job of being calm when it was sitting there, and getting it back underneath Hank for a whistle," Rangers defenceman Marc Staal said. "If they get that one, they have that momentum, and we were able to make a stand long enough that they didnt." The one-goal lead that stood up thanks to Stralman became two, New Yorks fifth of that kind in this Cup final, when Martin St. Louis scored 6:27 into the second. A bad bounce in a series full of them for the Rangers led to Kings captain Dustin Brown scoring just two minutes 19 seconds later. The knob of Girardis stick appeared to break, springing Brown for the breakaway goal at 8:46. After the Rangers blew two-goal leads in each of Games 1 and 2, Lundqvist couldnt help but think, "Here we go again." From that point on, the Rangers just tried to hang on. They were outshot 27-6 from the point St. Louis scored to make it 2-0 until the clock hit zeros at the end of the third. "Youre trying to tell your players not to play on their heels, keep managing the puck, lets make plays," relieved coach Alain Vigneault said. "They came at us real hard. Fortunately we were able to stand tall, bend not break. When we did bend a little bit more, our goaltender made some big saves." Then Stepan saved the hockey season with 1:11 left in the third. Again Martinez put the puck on net for a scoring chance that probably should have gone in, and after Tanner Pearson deflected it under Lundqvist it rolled slowly through the crease until it stopped centimetres from the line. It was the snow that stopped the puck there. And while Vigneault joked, "Thank God for soft ice now and then," Lundqvist had an explanation for what felt like a miracle on 33rd Street. "Its probably the product of moving a lot," said Lundqvist, who made 15 third-period saves while New York managed just one shot. "I stay deep in the net, so theres a lot of snow there." Lundqvist was yelling at Wes McCauley to blow his whistle, but the referee whos considered one of, if not the best, in the NHL had perfect positioning and saw the puck the entire time. "Then I realized it was behind me for a couple seconds," Lundqvist said. "I actually apologized. But he was cool about it." Stepan was even cooler under that pressure. Knowing full well he couldnt cover the puck with his hand, lest a penalty shot be awarded, the Rangers centre used his glove to sweep it under Lundqvist just as Stralman did earlier with his stick. "Those are the big plays we need at certain moments to keep the momentum or shift the momentum," Stepan said. "Obviously, I just dont want it to go in the net. I was just trying to do whatever I can to stop it." Stepan used the word of the night to describe that play: lucky. Drew Doughty probably had a different reaction when he looked up to the video screen to see what happened. "There were two like that tonight," Doughty said. "That was the difference in the game." For days the Rangers expressed confidence in their own play at the same time as they lamented not getting breaks in this series. Bounces cost them in overtime in Los Angeles and even in the 3-0 loss in Game 3. This time it was Pearson saying that the Kings were "that close. If we put those in or tap those in, its a whole different hockey game." Instead, it was the Rangers eighth straight victory when facing elimination at home. And it was the kind of win that had Vigneault hoping it was just the start of more. "We got a few bounces," Vigneault said. "You need those. Maybe the luck is changing a little bit." But this wasnt just luck. It was Lundqvist. The 32-year-old entered the night with a 0.98 goals-against average and .967 save percentage in the previous seven elimination possibilities at the Garden. Theres just something about these situations that brings out the best in Lundqvist. "When everything is on the line, you just have to challenge yourself the right way, I guess, as a team and personally," he said. "You have to go out there and leave everything out there and be extremely focused. One mistake and the season is over. Youre definitely aware of that." Lundqvist didnt make mistakes and in the process at least delayed the Kings party until Friday, when Game 5 takes place at Staples Center. Had Los Angeles finished off the sweep, it wouldve marked the second Cup in franchise history on the two-year anniversary of the first. "It is an opportunity lost," Brown said. It was actually an opportunity Lundqvist yearned to take away from the Kings. No team had been swept in the Cup final since the 1998 Washington Capitals, and it wouldve been the first time a visiting team celebrated this championship at the Garden since 1972. "We didnt want to see the Cup coming out on our home ice tonight," Lundqvist said. "Yeah, just the thought of it makes me feel sick." Instead of feeling sick, the Rangers feel alive. Theyre facing the same three games to one series deficit they came back from two rounds ago against the Pittsburgh Penguins and have some life. Thanks to luck -- and Lundqvist. "Hes a great goalie and a big part of our success," St. Louis said. "For us, we believe in him. Hes a big reason why were here." NOTES -- Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick made 17 saves on 19 shots, beaten on a double deflection on Pouliots goal and then a shot from in close on St. Louis. Quick stopped all 32 shots he faced in the Game 3 shutout. ... Brad Richards played just 13:20, including 9:22 at even strength, as he was demoted to the fourth line. ... Dan Carcillo was a healthy scratch for the Rangers despite being eligible to return from a six-game suspension for shoving an official during the Eastern Conference final. ... Kings defenceman Robyn Regehr, who has been out more than five weeks with an undisclosed injury, was scratched again as coach Darryl Sutter went with the same lineup from the first three games of the series. ... New Knicks coach Derek Fisher, who played in Los Angeles with the Lakers, was in attendance, wearing orange and blue. Vapormax Herre Danmark . Dancevic won his singles match on Friday, defeating Go Soeda 6-4, 7-6 (2), 6-1, to even the best-of-five series at a game apiece. World No. 18 Kei Nishikori defeated Peter Polansky in the opening match, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4. Vapormax Danmark . Hicham Khalouas late goal improved Almerias chances of avoiding relegation in a match dominated by contentious calls, including three penalties. One day after Barcelonas 4-3 win at Real Madrid featured three penalties, referees again dominated a wide-open game that saw Almeria ultimately move out of the relegation zone and one point ahead of Getafe which took its place. http://www.vapormaxdanmark.com/vapormax-dame-sko-danmark.html . 15 in Hamburg. The fight was originally slated for Sept. 6 but had to be postponed after Klitschko tore a bicep in sparring and was forced to miss four weeks of training.NEW YORK -- Its been 20 months since Masahiro Tanaka lost a regular-season game -- in any country. Garrett Richards and the Los Angeles Angels had a chance to end that streak until Mark Teixeira found his power stroke from the left side of the plate. Teixeira hit a tying homer and Jacoby Ellsbury scored the go-ahead run thanks to a passed ball and wild pitch in the eighth inning, sending the New York Yankees to a 3-2 victory Sunday night. Tanaka struck out a season-high 11, including Mike Trout twice, and overcame an early bout of wildness in a tight pitchers duel with Richards. Neither starter received a decision, leaving both undefeated this year. "Tanaka had it going," Yankees catcher Brian McCann said. "It was a good team win." David Robertson struck out pinch-hitter Raul Ibanez with a runner on second to end it, and New York has won 10 of 14 after taking two of three in the series. David Freese homered for the Angels, who went 4-5 on a tough road trip to Detroit, Washington and New York. Tanaka walked four in 6 1-3 innings against the Angels, who began the day leading the majors in homers. The $155 million rookie was on the hook for his first regular-season loss since August 2012 in Japan until Teixeira homered leading off the seventh. "Obviously, I was really happy that the score was tied," Tanaka said through a translator. "I was hoping that our offence could come back and put us back in the game." New York broke the tie without a hit in the eighth, a rough inning for Angels catcher Chris Iannetta. With the score 2-all, Michael Kohn (1-1) walked Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran. Nick Maronde relieved, and both runners advanced on Iannettas passed ball. "It was a fastball right there and I just missed it," Iannetta said. "One of the dumbest plays Ive made in my career -- or not made." McCann barely stayed alive with a couple of foul tips, and Maronde bounced a breaking ball in front of the plate. The ball ricocheted off Iannetta and far enough away for Ellsbury to score easily. Adam Warren (1-1) fanned two in 1 2-3 scoreless innings. Robertson worked the ninth for his fourth save and second in two days, whiffing Ibanez seconds before security workers tackled a fan who ran into the outfield. New York managed only three hits, winning a game with three or fewer for the first time since July 7, 2006, at Tampa Bay. Tanaka had the most strikeouts by a Yankees rookie since Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez whiffed 13 Texas Rangers on Aug. Vapormax Sort Herre Danmark. 13, 1998. The team said his 46 strikeouts this season are the third-most since 1900 for a major league pitcher in his first five career starts, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Herb Score (50) and Stephen Strasburg (4 were the only ones with more. Tanaka is 31-0 combined in Japan and the United States over his last 39 regular-season starts. He did lose Game 6 of the Japan Series last year -- before earning a save in Game 7. "First and foremost, I want to win the ballgame. But it wouldve been nice to give him his first loss," Richards said. Richards took a two-hitter and a 2-1 lead into the seventh, when Teixeira launched a 2-2 pitch into the second deck in right field for his second home run since returning from the disabled list last Sunday. It was Teixeiras first homer while batting left-handed since June 6, 2013. His season ended nine days later due to a right wrist injury that required surgery. "Thats my swing when Im healthy. Thats the swing that I want," Teixeira said. "Its a good sign that I start seeing results." Freese sent Tanakas first pitch of the sixth to right-centre for his second home run with the Angels since they acquired him from St. Louis in a November trade. Tanaka had an amazing ratio of 35 strikeouts to two walks in his first four starts, which covered 29 1-3 innings. But he struggled with his command early on this 54-degree night, walking a batter in each of the first four innings. Albert Pujols even stared out at the mound after Tanaka backed him off the plate with two straight pitches in the third. The walks caught up with Tanaka in the fourth, when Erick Aybar led off with a double and scored on an RBI groundout by J.B. Shuck with the bases loaded. New York tied it in the fifth. A leadoff walk to Teixeira and Brian Roberts one-out double set up Ichiro Suzukis run-scoring groundout against Richards. "Garrett was terrific. He had explosive stuff," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "I think both pitchers went toe to toe. We just couldnt get it done late." NOTES: The Angels have led in 10 of their 13 losses. ... A test on INF Yangervis Solartes sore right shoulder showed no damage, New York manager Joe Girardi said. ... The Yankees are off Monday before Robinson Cano returns to New York with the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday night. ' ' ' |
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